This invention relates to an image forming apparatus which enables confirmation outputs and a method for controlling the image forming apparatus.
Conventional image forming apparatuses for printing industries and so on have been required to print out a great number of copies of high print-out image qualities. If any print-out flaw is found, correction and re-printing are required after a great number of printouts are made. This will waste a lot of toner and paper. To solve such a problem, there have been some kinds of image forming apparatuses that can test-print the job images and the like (for confirmation output). (For example, see Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3.)
However, although the image forming apparatus disclosed by Patent Document 1 enables test-prints on ordinary paper sheets for confirmation output even when a special kind of paper is specified as job information, it is impossible to check the trimmed printout image after a trimming process by the confirmation output.
Further, the image forming apparatus disclosed by Patent Document 2 prints out images near the stapling margin of sheets when a stapling process is designated. This enables reduction of the quantity of used toner and confirmation of print-out status of images, but it is impossible to check the trimmed printout image after a trimming process by the confirmation output.
The image forming apparatus disclosed by Patent Document 3 can feed a sheet larger than what is required for confirmation output and print out an image frame of the confirmation-output size even when a sheet of the required size for confirmation output is not set. This enables confirmation of the test-print size but it is impossible to check the trimmed printout image after a trimming process by the confirmation output.
[Patent Document 1] Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication H08-101542
[Patent Document 2] Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication H11-38836
[Patent Document 3] Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication 2004-138673